Emotional Journey Brings Salvadoran History to Life

“The most emotional day for me was when we went to Monsignor Romero’s house and to the church where he was murdered.”– Caroline McHeffey.

February 12, 2013

Suffolk University students worked on building a house for the family of Don Carlos, who poses with student Lina Rodriguez, Dona Sonia, Mauricio and Katerine.

Students traveling to El Salvador on a service-learning trip experienced an outflowing of love from the Salvadoran people whom they met, but they also saw the vestiges of the hate that had plunged the Central American nation into civil war during the 1980s.

In the seventh annual Suffolk University Alternative Winter Break journey to El Salvador, students, faculty and staff followed in the footsteps of the late Congressman Joseph “Joe” Moakley, who had led a U.S. investigation into a military assassination of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter. Congress became involved because the United States had been funding military training and operations.

The students also worked on a Habitat for Humanity home-building project in the town of La Palma.

Death squads

The trip was preceded by an academic course on the history of El Salvador, where students learned, among other things, how the civil war ignited after the military shot and killed Archbishop Oscar Romero – known as the “bishop of the poor” – as he was celebrating Mass in March 1980.

“The most emotional day for me was when we went to Monsignor Romero’s house and to the church where he was murdered,” said student Caroline McHeffey.

"We promised to be human, to be brave"

As they sat in the church, each student was asked to offer a word that would describe Romero. “We said words like human’ and ‘brave,’ then we promised to be human, to be brave, like Archbishop Romero,” she said.

That day also included a visit to a military museum and to the house where the priests were murdered.

“The museum glorified the military, and some of them were involved in the massacre,” said McHeffey. “This was on the second day of the trip, and we didn’t know each other yet, but the emotion of the experience brought us together.”

The group stayed at Centro Arte para La Paz, an arts education center created by Sister Peggy O’Neill to help communities confront conflict and build a culture of peace.

Enriching the experience

Each evening, the Suffolk group would gather for a reflection on the day’s events.

"This group of students was exceptional in the way they worked and lived together and reflected on their experiences together,” said Tim Albers, assistant director of service learning and an Alternative Winter Break delegate. “Once again, the preparation each student did before going made the trip’s experiences so much more meaningful for them.”

Albers noted that the students often heard emotional and potentially disturbing testimony from people who had lived through the civil war

“The evening reflections provide a safe space to talk about what can be really uncomfortable things,” said Albers. “We all look at these experiences from our own points of view, but by talking them through, we all come out of it with a richer experience.”

“The trip opened up a totally different world to me,” said McHeffey. “I didn’t expect to fall in love with the culture. Everything is so vibrant and alive, so colorful.”

Making connections

“This experience gave me a chance not only to become acquainted with families all over El Salvador, but also to get to know some of the members of my own community at Suffolk as we all worked, played, cried, laughed, and supported each other,” said student Jake Houle.

“It’s amazing that Suffolk does this, said McHeffey.” We saw a part of history involving the United States that students today seldom learn about. It opens your eyes to politics and the role the United States has abroad.

Reflections from El Salvador

"Our time here has made me realize that one of the most important parts
of being a human is being open to the possibility of change … in the way
we think and act, the way we perceive and treat those around us, and in
how we lay the foundations for future generations.” –Kirstin Mulvaney

"There is nothing better than traveling to a foreign place with a
group of people and learning about another way of life together. I know
I'll remember this trip for the rest of my life.” –Aaron Lumnah

"The tranquility and contentment I feel here does not compare
to anything I've felt before. The hot weather and the beautiful green
landscape is reflected in the warmth and hopefulness of the Salvadoran
people.” –Elsy Naveo

"The people who endured so much during their civil war are truly inspiring despite the conditions in which they live. The love they have for each other as well as anyone who will listen to their story is something I have never experienced before." –Patrick O'Brien

"Learning from the people of El Salvador--seeing the incredible resilience, joy, and love for one another, especially in the wake of a brutal civil war of just twenty years ago--has thus far been an incredible experience and I cannot wait to see what the next week in this beautiful country can teach us all about being human.” –Caitlin Lezell

"We have all had to face our fears, emotions, and discomfort without any distractions; no phones, Facebook, or iPads--it's just been us and our journals. What a scary thing to actually encounter these things, and what a gift.” –Caroline McHeffey